Posted on 08/09/2003 7:35:11 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Watkins Glen International continues a road-racing tradition that dates back to 1948 -- when sports cars competed on the streets of the village at the southern tip of scenic Lake Seneca. The circuit, which at one time hosted the F1 United States Grand Prix, has grown to become one of the most respected facilities in the northeast.
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Sirius at the Glen on NBC at 10am PT / 1pm ET on Sunday, August 10, 2003
Watkins Glen International continues a road-racing tradition that dates back to 1948 -- when sports cars competed on the streets of the village at the southern tip of scenic Lake Seneca. The circuit, which at one time hosted the F1 United States Grand Prix, has grown to become one of the most respected facilities in the northeast.
Track Facts
Banking/Turns: --
Distance: 2.45 mile
Shape: Road course
| Pos. | Car | Driver | Make | Sponsor | Speed | Time | Behind |
| 1 | #24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont | 124.580 | 70.798 | Leader |
| 2 | #16 | Greg Biffle* | Ford | Grainger | 124.497 | 70.845 | -0.047 |
| 3 | #6 | Mark Martin | Ford | Viagra | 124.464 | 70.864 | -0.066 |
| 4 | #20 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Home Depot | 124.267 | 70.976 | -0.178 |
| 5 | #2 | Rusty Wallace | Dodge | Miller Lite | 124.255 | 70.983 | -0.185 |
| 6 | #8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | Budweiser | 124.145 | 71.046 | -0.248 |
| 7 | #17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | DeWalt Power Tools | 123.673 | 71.317 | -0.519 |
| 8 | #97 | Kurt Busch | Ford | Rubbermaid | 123.673 | 71.317 | -0.519 |
| 9 | #18 | Bobby Labonte | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries | 123.590 | 71.365 | -0.567 |
| 10 | #01 | Boris Said | Pontiac | USG | 123.384 | 71.484 | -0.686 |
| 11 | #29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service | 123.232 | 71.572 | -0.774 |
| 12 | #41 | Casey Mears* | Dodge | Target | 123.189 | 71.597 | -0.799 |
| 13 | #12 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | ALLTEL | 123.146 | 71.622 | -0.824 |
| 14 | #31 | Robby Gordon | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless | 123.019 | 71.696 | -0.898 |
| 15 | #0 | John Andretti | Pontiac | NetZero HiSpeed | 122.959 | 71.731 | -0.933 |
| 16 | #77 | Dave Blaney | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions | 122.925 | 71.751 | -0.953 |
| 17 | #154 | Todd Bodine | Ford | National Guard | 122.730 | 71.865 | -1.067 |
| 18 | #1 | Ron Fellows | Chevrolet | Pennzoil | 122.699 | 71.883 | -1.085 |
| 19 | #5 | Terry Labonte | Chevrolet | Kellogg's/got milk? | 122.674 | 71.898 | -1.100 |
| 20 | #48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe's | 122.653 | 71.910 | -1.112 |
| 21 | #25 | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | UAW/Delphi | 122.624 | 71.927 | -1.129 |
| 22 | #22 | Ward Burton | Dodge | Caterpillar | 122.478 | 72.013 | -1.215 |
| 23 | #99 | Jeff Burton | Ford | CITGO | 122.469 | 72.018 | -1.220 |
| 24 | #38 | Elliott Sadler | Ford | M&M's | 122.345 | 72.091 | -1.293 |
| 25 | #9 | Bill Elliott | Dodge | Dodge Dealers | 122.310 | 72.112 | -1.314 |
| 26 | #21 | Ricky Rudd | Ford | Motorcraft Quality Parts | 122.264 | 72.139 | -1.341 |
| 27 | #10 | Johnny Benson | Pontiac | Valvoline | 122.232 | 72.158 | -1.360 |
| 28 | #39 | Scott Pruett | Dodge | Target | 122.144 | 72.210 | -1.412 |
| 29 | #42 | Jamie McMurray* | Dodge | Havoline | 121.995 | 72.298 | -1.500 |
| 30 | #88 | Dale Jarrett | Ford | UPS | 121.660 | 72.497 | -1.699 |
| 31 | #45 | Kyle Petty | Dodge | Georgia Pacific | 121.432 | 72.633 | -1.835 |
| 32 | #104 | Johnny Miller | Pontiac | Kodak EasyShare | 121.396 | 72.655 | -1.857 |
| 33 | #4 | PJ Jones | Pontiac | Kodak Perfect Touch | 121.274 | 72.728 | -1.930 |
| 34 | #15 | Michael Waltrip | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts | 121.234 | 72.752 | -1.954 |
| 35 | #23 | Kenny Wallace | Dodge | Stacker 2 | 121.196 | 72.775 | -1.977 |
| 36 | #44 | Christian Fittipaldi | Dodge | New York Yankees | 121.169 | 72.791 | -1.993 |
| Provisional | |||||||
| 37 | #40 | Sterling Marlin | Dodge | Coors Light | 120.413 | 73.248 | -2.450 |
| 38 | #32 | Ricky Craven | Pontiac | Tide | 119.144 | 74.028 | -3.230 |
| 39 | #7 | Jimmy Spencer | Dodge | Sirius Satellite Radio | 118.638 | 74.344 | -3.546 |
| 40 | #19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | Dodge Dealers | 120.359 | 73.281 | -2.483 |
| 41 | #30 | Steve Park | Chevrolet | America Online | 120.217 | 73.367 | -2.569 |
| 42 | #74 | Tony Raines* | Chevrolet | Staff America | 121.029 | 72.875 | -2.077 |
| 43 | #33 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | Turtle Wax | 120.538 | 73.172 | -2.374 |
| Did not Qualify | |||||||
| 44 | #49 | Ken Schrader | Dodge | BAM Racing | 119.959 | 73.525 | -2.727 |
| 45 | #235 | Joe Varde | Chevrolet | Air Logic Solutions | 119.900 | 73.561 | -2.763 |
| 46 | #43 | Scott Maxwell | Dodge | Cheerios | 119.635 | 73.724 | -2.926 |
| 47 | #150 | Larry Foyt* | Dodge | Harrah's | 117.812 | 74.865 | -4.067 |
 |
| * Denotes Rookie |
Dale Jarrett got stuck during Saturday's practice. (AP)
| Practice makes perfect for Gordon |
| By DICK BRINSTER, AP Sports Writer August 9, 2003
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) -- A victory by Jeff Gordon on Sunday would be a strong argument that there's nothing more important than practice. After failing last year to get his fifth victory at Watkins Glen International, NASCAR's king of the road decided to use one of five allowable testing sessions this season to regain the dominance he had here in the late 1990s. It paid off Friday, when he won the pole for the Sirius at The Glen. ``It really took me about a day and a half to get comfortable going into turn one,'' he said of his test last month. Negotiating the first of 11 turns on the 2.45-mile road course is critical. It comes at the end of a long, downhill straightaway, where a driver can easily ruin his day by sliding off the course and into a gravel trap. The alternative is to be able to go hard and still make a smooth corner. Gordon, the NASCAR record holder with seven road-course victories, believes he's ready to do that -- thanks to hard work. ``If we hadn't tested and we just came here, I probably wouldn't be able to drive into turn one the way I can,'' said the four-time Winston Cup champion.
Gordon has won 55 times on ovals, where speed is the key to victory. But his success on the curvy road courses here and in Sonoma, Calif., is attributable to his understanding that slowing down quickly makes for a faster lap. ``You attack it under braking,'' he said. ``It's really just how hard you drive into the corners.'' Rookie Greg Biffle also tested here, and what he learned enabled him to qualify second. Like Gordon, he has had success at Watkins Glen, winning in the NASCAR truck series and finishing second in Busch competition. Crew chief Randy Goss says Biffle has always been good on road courses, even though his experience is limited. They thought they would do well two months ago in Sonoma after an uncharged test at Road Atlanta, where NASCAR does not race. But Biffle, who got his first Winston Cup victory last month at Daytona, finished 37th in Sonoma. ``That could have got me some bad habits because they are not a lot alike,'' Biffle said of Road Atlanta and Infineon Raceway. ``We decided to come here and test instead, and I think it's going to work out for us.'' Biffle and Gordon sharing the front row presents an interesting scenario because the rookie was chastised by NASCAR for rough driving last month in New Hampshire. Biffle was angry because race leader Gordon would not let him get back on the lead lap when a caution flag waved. He swerved to the right and hit Gordon's car.
``We talked about it the following weekend, and it's long gone,'' he said. ``Stuff like that happens sometimes, and in the heat of the moment it gets the best of you. I respect Greg a lot.'' Both should respect the speed of Tony Stewart, who starts fourth in defense of his race title. Unlike Biffle and Gordon, the series champion didn't test here. But Stewart also is an accomplished ace of the road courses. He has been out of the top 10 only once in four races here and won last year in Sonoma, where he finished 12th in June. He had the fastest car in the first practice Saturday. Biffle was the fastest in the final session and overall. ``I think we've got a good shot at repeating what we did here last year,'' Stewart said, but he knows he needs to get to the front. ``Track position is real important here.'' Stewart starts outside three-time Watkins Glen winner Mark Martin, also among the fastest Saturday. Rusty Wallace, a two-time winner here, shares the third row with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt spun into the gravel in the final session, but did not damage his car. Points leader Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte and Boris Said complete the top 10.
Updated on Saturday, Aug 9, 2003 3:13 pm EDT |
| Earnhardt Jr. spins out |
| By JOHN KEKIS, AP Sports Writer August 9, 2003
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) -- It didn't take long for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s final practice at Watkins Glen International to turn rocky. After posting the second-quickest lap in the first few minutes of running around the twisting track on Saturday in preparation for the Sirius at The Glen, Earnhardt slid off course between the final two turns and into a massive gravel pit built to slow the cars and prevent them from crashing. Practice was halted for three minutes while crews dug out the No. 8 Budweiser Chevy. After Earnhardt parked it in the garage, his crew blew out two small piles of rocks from the engine compartment and rear suspension. There was no apparent damage to the car. ``I was pretty fast. We've got a good car, and we need a win,'' said Earnhardt, whose lap of 122.078 mph ended up being third-best behind rookie Greg Biffle and three-time Glen winner Mark Martin and just ahead of polesitter Jeff Gordon. ``I was driving it pretty hard. There's a lot of rocks, but it's ... better than sliding into a guard rail.'' Earnhardt, second in the points standings to Matt Kenseth, had some companions in the rough. Kyle Petty's No. 45 Dodge spun through the gravel and gently brushed a foam barrier, allowing him to drive away, while Jimmy Spencer ended up mired in the gravel and had to be towed out. Christian Fittipaldi also crashed and dented the front end of the No. 44 New York Yankees Dodge. RAIN, RAIN The forecast for Sunday's Sirius at The Glen was calling for an 80 percent chance of rain, and the chance that NASCAR would conduct its first-ever race using Goodyear's rain tires became a possibility. ``It could be historic,'' said Rick Heinrich, marketing manager for Goodyear. ``That's why we bring 'em. We want to be ready.'' Good idea. A torrential downpour forced the Busch North series race to be called after 41 of 62 laps Saturday, giving Ted Christopher the victory. Heinrich said Goodyear shipped 1,200 rain tires to Watkins Glen. He added that NASCAR indicated it would not like to begin the race on the tires, which cost $394 apiece and have a tread depth of 6/32nds. ``They want to have the option to use them under the right circumstance in order to get the race in,'' Heinrich said. If the tires are used, pit strategy could become critical. Heinrich said that under extremely wet conditions cars could run the whole race on one set of tires. Mike Skinner won an exhibition race in Suzuka, Japan in 1999 on rain tires, and Mark Martin, Terry Labonte and Robby Gordon are among a handful of drivers who have tested in the rain at The Glen. Qualifying for the Winston Cup race at Watkins Glen was rained out three years ago, and teams practiced in the rain with the treaded tires, but the weather cleared on race day. NASCAR said a decision will be made at race time. ``I can handle it,'' said Ryan Newman, who starts 13th. ``If that's what we've got to do, then we'll do it. I'm looking forward to it.'' So, too, was Canadian road racer Ron Fellows, who raced in the rain at Watkins Glen nine year ago with much success. ``I won here in the rain in a Trans-Am race in 1994 -- from the back, thank you very much,'' said Fellows, who will start 18th. ``Let's hope it's an advantage. It will be interesting, for sure, if it rains.'' If it rains, one windshield wiper and one brake light in the rear window would be added to each car. SIRIUS SWEAR-IN:@ The Air Force will have a special paint scheme on Ricky Rudd's No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Taurus for a special occasion. Before the race, Gen. John W. Handy, who heads the U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, will officially swear in 20-plus Air Force recruits. Four F-16 fighter jets from the 174th Air National Guard Fighter Wing in nearby Syracuse, N.Y., will do a flyover to mark the occasion. Rudd, who qualified 26th, has 25 top-five finishes in 48 road-course races, more than any driver in NASCAR history. He has two wins and eight top-five finishes at Watkins Glen and won the pole last year.
Updated on Saturday, Aug 9, 2003 3:44 pm EDT |
|
Ron Fellows is the King of the Road ... courses. If NASCAR is racing at Watkins Glen or Sonoma, you can bet that some savvy owner has him signed for the weekend. This year, it's Dale Earnhardt Inc. Fellows, a 43-year-old Canadian, tested last month at The Glen with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip. Junior has been picking up pointers from Fellows since they were teammates in the 2001 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. "He's been very helpful," Earnhardt says. "There's nothing he has taught me in particular, but he adds a certain calmness to the package."
Let's go for a ride with Fellows around the Watkins Glen circuit:
We go across the start-finish in third gear and then shift up to fourth. Brake for Turn 1, and then go down into second gear through the center of the corner. There's a bit of a curve at the exit of Turn 1, then up to third gear just before you go through the Esses (Turns 2, 3 and 4) and a little breathe off the throttle as you go down and uphill through the Esses. You go flat through the top, making sure that you're just to the edge of the curb, ready to brake off the curve and almost to the guardrail of the exit.
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Turn 9, you keep accelerating, get in early and basically just hold the curb all the way around. It's pretty fast from second gear into third right into the exit and then up to fourth approaching Turn 10.
You're going to brake for Turn 10 just as the pavement changes (from asphalt to concrete at the start of the corner) and then downshift to second gear from fourth. There's a little bit of curve at the entrance but no curve at the exit of 10.
For the last turn, you come back to driver's left -- and leave a little bit of margin on your left -- drive in hard right across to the curb and accelerate up through the turn. You'll use a little bit of curb at the exit again, up to third gear and across the start-finish.
Fellows says the most aggressive braking occurs at the chicane, which he gives a 5 on a 1-to-5 scale. Turn 1 is a 4, and Turn 10 a 2.
"Turn 1 and going in (Turn 5) and out of the chicane (Turn 8) are the most precarious," he says. "It gets single file in a hurry. People seem to get into trouble there."
Traditionally, the best place to pass is going into the chicane. Usually you can get a run on somebody going up through the Esses, and that seems to be a pretty good place to do it. Occasionally, Turn 1; that's really about it. Sometimes guys will make a little mistake, and you can get a little run on them.
Turn 1 is the place where most drivers will lose time on the track because it's a downhill brake zone, and the car gets very light. You find a lot of guys, and I've done it too, will get the back wheels real light. It will lock up, and you'll spin out into the gravel. Been there, done that.
The whole approach to cornering on a road course seems to give some drivers problems. It takes a while to get used to driving into a 90-degree corner and knowing when to brake while down-shifting so you don't lock up the back tires and go wheel-hopping.
Lee Spencer covers NASCAR for Sporting News. Email her at lspencer@sportingnews.com.
Updated on Wednesday, Aug 6, 2003 9:25 pm EDT
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